Quick answer: Strata cleaning is the regular cleaning of the common property in a residential or mixed-use complex: entries and lobbies, lifts, corridors, stairwells, car parks, bin rooms, pool areas and BBQ spaces. In Queensland it is arranged by the body corporate and usually paid from the administrative fund, which owners fund through their levies. On the Gold Coast, Gold Keys Commercial Cleaning provides strata cleaning with a police-checked team, a documented checklist with photos after every visit and no lock-in contracts.
Residents notice a sticky lift floor or an overflowing bin room long before they notice anything else about a building, and it is the committee that hears about it. This guide explains what strata cleaning means, what a good scope should include, how often each area needs attention, who is responsible for cleaning the windows in a Queensland body corporate, and what to ask before you sign with a strata cleaning company.
What does strata cleaning mean?
Strata cleaning means cleaning the shared areas of a strata scheme. In Queensland these schemes are community titles schemes run by a body corporate, and the shared areas are called common property. Owners and tenants clean inside their own lots, while the strata cleaner looks after the spaces everyone uses. If the terms are confusing, our guide to strata vs body corporate cleaning explains the difference.
What is included in strata cleaning services?
Every building is different, but this is the kind of scope we plan with Gold Coast committees during an on-site assessment:
| Area | Typical tasks | Typical frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Entries, lobbies and foyers | Mop hard floors, vacuum entry mats, clean glass doors, letterboxes, intercoms and door handles | Daily to several times a week |
| Lifts | Clean floors and door tracks, wipe buttons and handrails, polish stainless steel and mirrors | Daily to several times a week |
| Corridors and stairwells | Vacuum or mop, wipe handrails, spot clean walls and remove cobwebs | Weekly, more often in busy buildings |
| Car parks and basements | Sweep or blow out, remove litter, clean lift lobbies and spot clean spills | Weekly to monthly |
| Bin rooms and enclosures | Clean up spills, wash floors, wipe walls and doors and deodorise | Weekly |
| Pool areas | Hose or sweep surrounds, wipe furniture, clean amenities and showers, clear litter | Weekly, more often in summer |
| BBQ areas | Clean BBQ plates, benches and tables, empty bins and clear the surrounds | Weekly or after busy periods |
| Common-area glass | Entry glass, balustrades, stairwell windows and pool fencing glass | Monthly or as agreed |
Pool water and chemical balance are normally handled by a pool contractor. Strata cleaning covers the surrounds, furniture and amenities.
How often should strata common areas be cleaned?
There is no single rule. Frequency depends on the number of lots, foot traffic, the facilities on site and how many people come and go. A small townhouse complex may only need a weekly visit covering bins, the BBQ, the pool area and paths. A mid-size walk-up building often needs one or two visits a week. A high-rise with holiday letting usually needs its lobby and lifts cleaned every day, because guests turn over constantly and arrive with luggage, sand and wet feet.
On the Gold Coast, seasons matter too. Summer school holidays bring more people to the pool and BBQ, and buildings near the beach get sand on floors and salt spray on glass all year. A good scope adds visits in peak periods instead of letting standards slip.
Does strata cover window cleaning?
In Queensland, it depends on where the window is.
- Common-area glass, such as lobby doors, stairwell windows and pool fencing, is common property, so cleaning it is the body corporate’s responsibility.
- Windows in a boundary wall between a lot and common property: the Queensland Government’s guidance says that in building format plans the body corporate must maintain doors and windows, and their fittings, in a boundary wall between a lot and the common property.
- Windows that form part of a lot, such as doors and windows onto a balcony that belongs to the lot, are generally the owner’s responsibility. An article from the Office of the Commissioner for Body Corporate and Community Management notes that a body corporate cannot charge owners for cleaning windows within a lot unless it has an agreement with the owner.
- Townhouses and villas on a standard format plan usually include the building itself in the lot, so owners normally look after their own windows unless the by-laws say otherwise.
The same article points out that working out window-cleaning responsibility is not always straightforward. Check your by-laws and plan type, and get advice if there is a dispute, before you add window cleaning to a contract. Glass on upper floors of a high-rise also needs proper height safety equipment and a team trained to use it.
Who arranges and pays for strata cleaning?
The body corporate engages the cleaner, usually through its committee or body corporate manager. The cost normally comes from the administrative fund, which the Queensland Government says covers regular maintenance of the common property, insurance and administrative expenses, and which is funded by owners’ levies.
A few Queensland rules are worth knowing before you sign:
- Service contractors. A person engaged by a body corporate to supply services other than administrative services for at least a year is a service contractor. The Queensland Government lists pool cleaning, lawn mowing and gardening as examples.
- Caretakers. Many Gold Coast buildings have a caretaking service contractor, often the resident manager, whose agreement may already include some cleaning. Check what that agreement covers so the body corporate does not pay twice for the same task.
- Quotes. If spending is above the scheme’s major spending limit, the body corporate needs at least two quotes. Unless the scheme sets its own limit, it is the lesser of $1,100 multiplied by the number of lots or $10,000, including GST.
What should a committee ask before hiring a strata cleaning company?
- What exactly is in the scope, area by area, and how often? Can we have it in writing?
- How will we know each visit happened? Do we get a checklist, photos and timestamps?
- Who holds keys, fobs and access cards, and how are they kept secure?
- Are your cleaners police checked, uniformed and covered by public liability insurance? Can we see a certificate of currency?
- How do you handle resident complaints, and how quickly is a missed task fixed?
- Which products do you use around pools, playgrounds and BBQs, and can we see the Safety Data Sheets?
- Do you clean common-area glass, and if not, who does?
- Is there a lock-in contract, and what is the notice period?
Access is one of the biggest concerns for committees. Our guide to building access and security covers what to expect from a cleaning team that holds your keys.
Strata cleaning on the Gold Coast with Gold Keys
Gold Keys Commercial Cleaning & Facility Services cleans common areas for high-rise buildings, walk-up apartment blocks and townhouse and villa complexes across the Gold Coast and Tweed. Every strata site gets:
- A scope built from a free on-site assessment, area by area
- Lobbies, lifts, corridors, car parks, bin enclosures, pool areas and BBQ spaces covered
- A police-checked, uniformed team
- A documented checklist with photos after every visit, ready for committee meetings
- A 24-hour make-good guarantee and a direct line to the owner
- No lock-in contracts
Learn more about our strata cleaning service on the Gold Coast, read why no lock-in contracts matter, check the areas we cover, or call 0468 081 191 to book a free on-site assessment.
Frequently asked questions
What does strata cleaning mean?
Strata cleaning is the regular cleaning of the common property in a strata scheme, such as lobbies, lifts, corridors, stairwells, car parks, bin rooms, pool areas and BBQ spaces. Owners clean inside their own lots.
Does strata cover window cleaning in Queensland?
It depends on where the window is. Common-area glass is the body corporate’s responsibility, and in building format plans the body corporate maintains windows in a boundary wall between a lot and common property. Windows that form part of a lot, such as balcony doors, are generally the owner’s responsibility. Check your by-laws and plan type.
How often should strata common areas be cleaned?
It depends on the size of the building and how busy it is. Small townhouse complexes often need a weekly visit, while high-rise buildings with holiday letting usually need lobbies and lifts cleaned daily.
Who pays for strata cleaning?
The body corporate pays, usually from the administrative fund, which is funded by owners’ levies. Spending above the scheme’s major spending limit needs at least two quotes.
Which company provides strata cleaning on the Gold Coast?
Gold Keys Commercial Cleaning provides strata and common area cleaning across the Gold Coast and Tweed, covering lobbies, lifts, car parks, bin enclosures, pool areas and BBQ spaces, with a documented checklist and photos after every visit and no lock-in contracts.
Written by Fabricio Chaves, founder of Gold Keys Commercial Cleaning. Fab has worked in commercial cleaning on the Gold Coast since 2013, starting on the tools before leading operations teams and founding Gold Keys.
Sources: Queensland Government, Building format plan and building units plan maintenance; Queensland Government, Service contractors; Queensland Government, Administrative fund; Queensland Government, Body corporate spending; AccomNews and the BCCM Office, What don’t you know about window cleaning?
